The present invention relates to hose couplings in general, and more particularly to improvements in hose couplings of the type disclosed in the commonly owned copending patent application Ser. No. 681,118, filed Dec. 13, 1984 and now abandoned.
The copending application discloses a hose coupling wherein an annular clamping member surrounds that terminal portion of a hose which surrounds a tubular member in the form of a nipple and wherein the clamping member has two normally circumferentially complete annular portions as well as a plurality of elastic prongs which extend between and are integral with the two annular portions. The nipple has a circumferentially complete external deforming rib which is adjacent to its free end portion and is surrounded by the terminal portion of the hose in assembled condition of the coupling. One annular portion of the clamping member then surrounds the hose and is spaced apart from the nipple, and the other annular portion of the clamping member surrounds the terminal portion of the hose and the nipple in a region which is separated from the free end portion of the nipple by the aforementioned rib. The latter has a conical flank which tapers toward the axis of the nipple in a direction toward the free end portion to facilitate the introduction of the nipple into the terminal portion of the hose. The other annular portion of the clamping member is a split ring whose end portions can be secured to each other so that such annular portion bears against the adjacent part of the terminal portion of the hose and urges such part against the periphery of the nipple. The other annular portion is opened preparatory to assembly of the coupling and its end portions are thereupon attached to each other to thus ensure that the prongs bear against the terminal portion of the hose and the terminal portion is less likely to slide off the nipple in response to the application of axial stresses to the nipple and/or hose.
The just discussed hose coupling is quite satisfactory when it is in actual use, i.e., it establishes a reliable seal between the terminal portion of the hose and the nipple and it also offers a rather pronounced resistance to separation of the hose from the nipple. However, the clamping member is rather complex because one of its annular portions must be provided with means for releasably or permanently securing the two end portions to each other upon completed assembly of the coupling. Moreover, the force with which the prongs of the clamping member bear against the exterior of the terminal portion of the hose cannot be varied and depends exclusively on the nature of detent means on the end portions of the other annular portion of the clamping member.